The First Official Interview *Ever* With The Mastermind Behind @OverHeardMarinaSF

When you think of the Marina neighborhood in San Francisco, you think: workout clothes everywhere. Puffy vests. Patagonia jackets. La Croix. Rose. “Grown up Frat boys and Sorority girls.” <— Not even my words. It’s truly the biggest generalization of Marina peeps.

I don’t hang out in the Marina much. Sometimes (I love it during the day) but not a ton. That said- I have a handful of girlfriends who live in the Marina and love that Marina life. You know- with their own twist.

Love it or hate it- the Marina has it’s own little culture thriving in San Francisco.

And no one captures it better than the witty, reflective, comical Instagram account: @OverheardMarinaSF.

Since it’s inception last year- @OverheardMarinaSF has grown to the tune of ~38.8K followers. DAMN. That’s a lot of people listening, watching, becoming informed… and enjoying the entertainment.

The Creator of @OverheardMarinaSF has literally captured a moment in San Francisco history. He (yes- it’s a he!) has the ability to encapsulate these snapshots, these recordings, into something that lasts forever. A permanent reflection of what was. Or currently, what is. It’s pretty incredible.

He has helped businesses get the word out. Cultivated a community. Started trends or bolstered new ones. And before you knock him for the sometimes controversial content, he has done GOOD with the @OverheardMarinaSF platform. Just this last month, he and the account followers helped raise over $11,000 for charity. “Charity Water” to be exact- a project that funds various water projects in countries around the world.

So who is he? Well- identity is most likely going to be concealed. But he did meet with me (total gentleman) and gave me some insight that we perhaps never had before on the account.

He is 29 and -surprise- works in tech. Great guy! Intelligent. Reflective. Kind. Definitely not a Brad or Chad (you’d get that reference if you follow the account) but perhaps he’s friends with a few. 🙂

Enjoy this interview! It’s not easy to show love for a culture but also poke fun in a way that’s relevant and insightful.

Overheard Marina SF:While visiting one of my best friends down in LA, he mentioned @overheardla. We joked it would be funny to have an “overheard” for the Marina…like most of our jokes, we took it further than expected and here we are.

The Violet Fog:What recognitions have you gotten that surprised you?

Overheard Marina SF:An article by SF Gate was surprising, mainly because I was never contacted by them. Also, someone (I didn’t know) dressed up as an @overheardmarinasf quote for Halloween. That was everything.

The Violet Fog:Tell us about how many submissions you get a day. Are they mostly from men or women?

Overheard Marina SF:Around 10-15/day. A lot of people reply to stories, which surprised me…I also reply back a lot…which probably surprises them. Its about a 60/40 split of submissions from women/men.

The Violet Fog: How much time and effort does it take to run this account? What do your friends think of it? How often are we seeing YOUR circle featured on @OverheardMarinaSF?

Overheard Marina SF:Curating, captioning and editing takes around a hour/day. If I do a business partnership (or a fun interview like this) it inherently takes longer, but those aren’t very consistent. It’s hard to really quantify because it’s a blast and doesn’t feel like work. My friends love the account. They’re naturally featured more often because we communicate frequently, but I try to keep the quality-bar the same for everyone.

The Violet Fog: Some might say they can’t tell if you are making FUN of the Marina or more-so honoring it. Elaborate on your sentiment towards this neighborhood.

Overheard Marina SF:I’m doing both. You need to be somewhat self-aware in order to make fun of yourself. So I’m making fun of the Marina, while also honoring the fact that we realize we’re ridiculous at times.

The Violet Fog:What is one Marina trend you would not mind dying out? And one that you want to see thrive?

Overheard Marina SF:Dying out: Ghosting. This is probably more of a general millennial epidemic, rather than just the Marina…but ever since the term was coined, it has made something that used to be simply rude, a norm. Thrive: Obsession with good boys/girls (dogs).

The Violet Fog:@OverheardMarinaSF has a strong cultural appeal on the Marina… obviously. You can make something “trendy” in a single post. Do you feel a sense of responsibility with this or is everything taken pretty lightly with you?

Overheard Marina SF:I believe that for the most part the account is bringing to light the habits and products people already use. So, this isn’t where most of my mental energy is spent. I try to focus on humor, but I do realize that making something (even more) trendy is an inevitable by-product.

The Violet Fog:Not everything is fun and games. Or maybe it is in the Marina… but name some things that bother you a little bit about the neighborhood. Surely you don’t like everything about it. What could be better?

Overheard Marina SF:Everything is expensive. We could use a rooftop bar. No one likes a cover charge (especially if you live in the area). There’s no Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.

The Violet Fog:What do you say to the people who think that the Marina is just a bunch of grown up Frat boys/Sorority girls trying to stay in la la land? And those who think Marina people are entitled and really only care about appearance, drinking, $40 soul cycle classes…

Overheard Marina SF: Well there’s nothing wrong with Greek life, and a healthy dose of la la land never killed anyone… But on a serious note, “those types of people” exist everywhere. Believing that everyone in the Marina is shallow and entitled would be an unfair generalization. San Francisco offers a diverse portfolio of neighborhoods; all of us, Marina or not, are fortunate enough to be able to pick the one that fits our personality, taste in food, demographic or “phase in life”.

The Violet Fog:On the flip side- what do you think is the most appealing part of Marina culture?

Overheard Marina SF:The culture is outgoing and social. People move here to take advantage of the night (and day) life. In the Marina you can always find large groups brunching on weekends, Chads & Brads playing beer dye at Fort Mason, and evening dance floors turn into tonsil hockey arenas.

The Violet Fog:Dating in the Marina. How would you describe it? Do you think it is at all different from dating in the rest of SF? Like do you think there is a specific dating eco-system within?

Overheard Marina SF:This is a good question, but I don’t think I’m the right person to answer it. It’s very opinion based, as opposed to account focused. I also don’t know much about dating outside of the Marina, my Hinge radius is only set to 1 mile (kidding).

The Violet Fog:The business opportunities must be plentiful for @OverHeardMarinaSF. Have you been able to capitalize on it? How strict are you when determining who to work with or not?

Overheard Marina SF:Various promotions & ads pay for one (unhealthy) weekend of drinks per month at most. The best part has been the networking opportunities though; being able to meet bar and business owners. I’m strict with who I work with in the sense that I want it to be on-brand and beneficial to the followers.

The Violet Fog:Just for fun- describe the “typical Marina” girl and guy. What do they look like?

Overheard Marina SF: Guy: Probably in tech sales or finance. Usually wearing a gray Patagonia vest. Was a part of a fraternity that is now shutdown. Might have gotten his ears pierced during a weird stage in his life, but hasn’t worn earrings in years. No “visible” tattoos. Considers going to Yacht Week getting cultured. Girl: If she’s on her way to the gym, she’s likely wearing Lulus. If she’s running errands, she’s likely wearing Lulus. If she’s going to the park she’s likely wearing Lulus. If she’s going to to work…she might not be wearing Lulus.

…… And there you have it, folks! A little mystery unveiled on the iconic SF account that is @OverheardMarinaSF. Do you follow?! Some more of my favorite posts below.